24 Hours in a Locked Room With James Potter
by serpentginny
Summary: You can't leave this room for another 24 hours unless you say...' Potter paused. 'that you love me...and mean it.' Dear Merlin, this is hell on wheels! But I can survive, right? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

24 Hours In A Locked Room...With James Potter

**_Chapter One: Jinxed_**

_**by SerpentGinny**_

_He's Head Boy. Oh my god, he can't be Head Boy! _I thought desperately. I looked down the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, eyeing Potter's robes suspiciously for a glint of gold glimmer. Sure enough, when he turned to grab the potatoes from a first year, a shining gold "HB" was emblazoned on his robe front by a pin. I'm so going to faint...

'Now that we're all well fed and our tummies filled, off to bed with you lot!' Professor Dumbledore ushered the children out of the Hall and I stood up, trying to gather scared looking first years. I saw Potter stand as well and say to his friends, 'Sorry, my friends, I have duties to attend to.' He turned around to me, who was corralling the first years into a single-file line and winked, then sprinted up to me.

'Well, Evans!' he said, all too cheerfully. I grimaced. I felt like smacking my head up against the wall. Why! Why! Why! 'Looks like we got Head Boy and Girl this year. Pretty lucky, eh?' he asked, winking again.

I scowled. 'Get away from me, Potter,' I growled and he raised an eyebrow. 'First Years This Way!' I called (the prefects had forgotten their duties...bunch of loafers) and a bunch of short little midgets formed a straight line and followed me out of the hall. We caught a glimpse of the Slytherins being led down into the dungeons before we passed the Ravenclaws up the marble staircase.

'Evans!' moaned Potter, hands stuffed into his pockets. 'Come on, lighten up! It won't be that bad!'

The two first year girls giggled when I gave Potter an evil look. 'Sharing a common room and bathroom with you isn't bad! It's a punishment to hell!' I hissed sharply and the first years behind us gasped at the use of my language.

Even Potter put on a mock-surprised face. 'Evans! Do watch the use of your language around the children!' His face shown mock-surprise, but his gray eyes twinkled mischievously behind those stupid glasses. I shot a furious glare at Potter and we made our way up the final winding staircase to Gryffindor Tower. I heard the 11-year-old children behind me gasp in surprise at the big moving Pink Lady and I turned around, ignoring Potter as best as I could.

'This is the portrait hole to the Common Room. You stop here and simply say the password,' they nodded and I turned to the Fat Lady, but as doing so, I caught James mocking me. I understood now why the kids were giggling non-stop. My face bright red and my temper longing to be unleashed on the pigheaded prat, I looked at the Fat Lady.

'Good evening my dear! My Lily! Head Girl! No surprise...no surprise!' said the Fat Lady, eyeing her badge and then to the first years behind me. 'Password?'

'Ridikulus,' I said dully and she opened it for us.

After a while of the first years gapping at the Common Room and then yawning in exhaustion of a first night, I led the girls up to the dormitory where they promptly crashed asleep on their beds. I came back down the steps in pride of how well I had taken charge and had forgotten Potter altogether when I spied him waiting for me in the Common Room.

'What do you want?' I said exasperated. 'Can't you just leave me be! I swear to Merlin you're a loathsome fly!'

Potter grinned. 'Relax, Lily. I've come to tell you that we have our own Common Room. Remember?' he told me, repeating what I told him on the staircases up.

I had fully well remembered, I just wanted to forget that I was sharing a common room and bathroom with him! 'I remember, Potter. Now let's go!' I rolled my eyes and stomped my way out of the Common Room and down the tapestried halls. I had only stopped for a moment to roll my eyes when I heard him running down the corridor after me.

'Wait, Lils!' he called out.

I whipped around, my wand out in a flash. 'Don't ever call me that!' My freckled face bursting a bright red. He had effectively stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened beneath those stupid glasses. I put my wand away with a flourish and stuck my nose in the air. 'That's better.'

'Sorry...' he said in an almost serious voice...and I had almost fell for it until...'Lils.' He choked out amongst chuckles.

In a flash of blue light and me cursing my head off, he finally had his priorities straight. Never. _Ever_. Call. Me. Lils. His eyes were dazed and a remnant of the blue light reflected in them, I smiled smugly. 'That's what you get.' I said and he nodded, mouth open. I had just made him relive the most harsh and humiliating points in his life, all at once...maybe that'll teach him for the night.

I reached the stone slab of wall and I tickled the right corner of it, the piece of wall giggling and it opened for me, James's feet dragging on the floor as he followed, still speechless. A balloon swelled with pride within me as to what I had done to James. I spotted two staircases, one with a gold rug and one with a red one...I assumed the red one was to my room. I turned around to see James already on the couch. 'Potter!' I said. 'What are you doing!' He had come back to his senses now, the effects of the curse fading.

'Jinxing the door,' he said bluntly.

'WHY!' I screamed, watching a silver light jolt out of his wand and at the door, which glowed faintly then returned to normal. 'What did you do?' I moaned.

'Jinxed it, Evans!' he replied back happily, a grin forming on his face. A bad bad _bad_ grin.

'To do what, Potter!' I hissed angrily.

'You officially can't leave this room for another 24 Hours, unless you say you love me...' I opened my mouth to say something, but he continued. 'And mean it.' Potter smirked. A sudden feeling of dread entered my stomach.

Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad!


	2. Chapter 2

_CHAPTER TWO:_

'You officially can't leave this room for another 24 Hours, unless you say you love me...' I opened my mouth to say something, but he continued. 'And mean it.' Potter smirked. A sudden feeling of dread entered my stomach.

Bad bad bad bad bad bad bad!

'What the hell do you think you're doing, Potter!' I exclaimed, but in truth...the front of my mind said, _This should be easy_, but my subconscious said, _Lord Lily...you can't even survive a period of class with him, how are you going to live through 24 hours!  
_  
'Jinxing the door,' he said simply and twirled his mahogany wand between his fingers. I reached forward, grabbed it out of his hands, holding each end in one hand, my thumbs pressing down gently ontop of it, bending it a smidgen. His eyes widened beneath those stupid round glasses. 'No...Lily...give that back...please...Evans!' he pleaded.

I struggled to compose myself, trying hard not to grin smugly or laugh at the picture of him on his knees at my feet, begging for his captive wand back. 'No,' I stated firmly, sticking it in my back pocket. 'Not unless you promise to take the jinx off.'

'I can't,' he mumbled.

'What was that!' I said, enraged, my temper showing as the skin at the roots of my hair reddened.

'I CAN'T!' He roared.' It can't be removed until a full twenty-four hours is over or until the action said is completed before then,' he said quietly, knowing full well he would probably be murdered by morning.

I scowled, my lips pursed in a Petunia (my sister) -ish way, and took out my own vine-wood wand and waved it once over the length of the room. A white chalk line appeared on the floor, splitting the room in half. 'My half,' I said, pointing at the ground I was standing on. 'Your half.' I pointed to the side he had his groveling knees on. 'Stay on your side and chances are you'll live in one piece to see tomorrow.'

Instead of looking intimidated, which was my hopeful reaction, a mischievous grin broke across his face and he nodded. 'You have my word,' he said with a troublemaking aura about him. 'Now can I have my own wand back, Lily?' he asked, probably in the most politest voice I had ever heard him speak in, even if it was fake.

I looked at him, trying to find deceiving qualities, but in the end, his wand was rightfully returned to him. I looked at the grandfather clock in the corner...it chimed a 9:00...24 hours to go...

One And a Half Hours Later

'I'm Henry the Eighth I am...Henry the eighth I am I am...'

'SHUT UP POTTER!' I grumbled loudly. He was on his bloody eleventh verse of that STUPID ANNOYING song.

'But I'm not done!' he complained, his head poking over an armchair. So far, he had stayed on his side of the room. So far being main key words.

'Potter, dammit! It's 10:30!' I cried, flipping my hair out of my eyes. I lay on a couch, facing his side of the room, trying to fall asleep as half an hour before I had dismally found he had jinxed the dorm doors too. 'GO TO BED!' I roared.

'I normally don't sleep until-'

'Potter, I don't care if you normally sleep with a purple hippogriff, just go to damn sleep!' I looked at the clock once more...22 and a half more hours...

11:35 PM

I had finally fell asleep peacefully when about twenty minutes later, something crashed into my head and I awoke with a start to find James staring wide-eyed at me. I looked down at the floor by my head to find a paper airplane. Scowling, I picked it up and read the note.

Evans,  
Conjure some food. I'm hungry and I can't remember the right spell.  
Potter

'Merlin,' I muttered. 'Can't you deflate your head for five bloody minutes so you can actually be a normal human being!' I rolled up the paper airplane and threw it at him, striking him in the forehead. I repeated a spell learnt last year and a plate of freshly baked cookies appeared in the middle of the room, right on the line, along with two glasses of milk.

'THANK MERLIN!' he roared and jumped off the couch he was sitting on and promptly fell face first onto the floor. I had to stifle a laugh at that display of pure stupidity. He shoved a cookie into his mouth and said in between gulps, 'Fankfu Hily!' and swallowed at my grimace and said clearly. 'Thank you Lily!'

Those words were sincere, I could feel it, and as he downed some more cookies and milk, I smiled...maybe this wouldn't be that bad...I looked at the clock. 21 hours and 25 minutes left of doom though…let's see if I actually survive this task...


	3. Chapter 3

_CHAPTER THREE: Your Toes Are On My Side of the Line_

_Twelve o'clock Midnight_

James, I mean, Potter, had finally fallen asleep on his side of the room on a couch, one leg off the couch and another arm dangling off of it, not snoring surprisingly, and a half eaten cookie dangling dangerously from his hand that was hanging over the couch. I let out a soft chuckle. With him not being insanely annoying or being a bugger, and him being asleep, I must fatally admit that he does look kind of fit and attractive.

I laughed again at that thought. _Ha_! What would my friends say! Jessica would take the mickey out of me, Bridget would die of laughter overdose, and Lindsey would fall off her chair in complete shock. 'Oh my Merlin! Lily Rose "Miss Goody-Two-Shoes and Oh I know the answer!" Evans did not just admit that she likes the all powerful and handsome, yet annoying and loathsome James Potter did she! Gasp!' I could just hear Jessica's sarcastic voice ringing in my ears before I fell asleep to the gentle twelve chimes of the grandfather clock.

_8:00, AM The Next Day_

'Lily...Lily...' I awoke to a soft whisper, close, yet far away. The voice sounded familiar...all too familiar. 'Lily. Lily wake up. It's eight o' clock and you-'

At that, I jumped out of my sleeping place, forgetting the current situation that was happening at the current moment. 'Eight o clock!' I screeched, my tangled red hair flying about in frantic panic. 'I have to get to class!' I screeched once more, pulling my hair and jumping off the couch, looking around in panic only to have my eyes fall on James Potter. And then I remembered.

'Calm Lily!' James said, standing. He was still on his side of the room, but he had his hands on my shoulders, he could reach. 'One: it's Sunday. Two: in case you hadn't noticed but the jinx on the door isn't over yet.' He mumbled the last part, being ashamed of his own stupidity.

My cheeks flared red. 'Oh. Right.' I flattened my skirt out as if to brush off dust and ran my fingers through my hair. 'Sorry, Potter.' I said with much less dignity then I had possessed the night before and said solemnly. 'So why did you decide to wake me up? Purely to annoy me for the rest of the 13 hours we are stuck here?'

Potter frowned and shook his head, black locks flying everywhere. How so many boys would kill for that permanently 'Quidditch Hair' style he had. It's not even attractive! Okay...so, it is a little...'I'm hungry,' he mumbled, clearly ashamed.

I fumed a bit more. Accenting my red hair unattractively of course. 'You. Woke. Me. Up. Because. You. Were. HUNGRY?' I said, forcible anger between each word. 'AGAIN?' I roared.

Potter flinched horrible at each punctuated word I pronounced out of my angry mouth. His face blanched to a pale almost pure white and his eyes seemed huge and pleading not to get pummeled. 'Yes,' he mumbled, nodding slowly.

I tried to retain myself, my thoughts were swirling madly around my head like bothersome flies and one stuck out the most. He is so damn helpless that I bet he has to have one of his little friends to tuck him in every night...then again, if they could get in here, I'd be gone by now...My fists were clenched and shaking at my sides, temper showing through, face so red that the little freckles adorning my skin vanished. After five whole minutes of fuming under complete pressure I calmed myself down enough to conjure more food for that belly-aching Potter. But turns out a poked my wand a bit too hard, and instead of conjuring two plates of toast and eggs and bacon, out popped five more. I sighed. This was going to be a damn horrible day.

James sat down near the plates looking at them with a frown. 'I made you angry,' he said solemnly and obviously, still looking at the food. There were truth in those words, he was being sincere and honest...  
_  
'Who are you and what have you done with James Potter?' _my brain demanded harshly, but I immediately cast that thought aside. 'It's alright, Potter. My temper's nearly uncontrollable.' I admitted with a nervous laugh and sat down, my legs tucked beneath me.. Well, it was!

Potter nodded, cast one more hungry look at the food, and then at me. 'James,' he said.

I was confused.

He saw my confused look.

'Call me James,' he repeated with a gentle smile.

'Lily. And not-'

'Not Lils. I learned that,' he said with a smile, remembering the effective jinx I cast on him before being dumped in a hell-hole. He smiled at me once more, and what thought should pop into my head that made my heart flutter?_ I think I'm falling for you...and we only have thirteen hours to show it...  
_

_9:00 AM  
Count: 12 Hours To Go_

Well, that moment didn't last very long. Immediately after I vanished the plates of empty food away, Potter stuck his little ignorant nose back into my business. It was a exasperating and tiresome hour ahead of me. 'I'm soooooooooooooo bored Lily!' moaned James.

I myself, was not bored. I had effectively summoned a book my trunk up in the locked dorms and was casually reading it. On my side of the room. I didn't look up from my book. 'Well, entertain yourself,' I said simply, trying to hide my annoyance.

'I tried that,' said Potter with a puppy dog frown.

I slammed my book shut with a groan. 'Well. What did you try?' I said through gritted teeth.

'Chess...er...staring at the wall...playing with the hole in my sock...' _Oi...I didn't even wanna know_...'I would have tried Quidditch...er...staring at the wall again...' he continued to ramble pointlessly.

I held back my groan. 'Well. Think of something else,' I said once more through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, his face lit up. 'Watch this!' he exclaimed happily. He ducked behind a couch and my thoughts sneered, _How can I watch you from there, you twit? _Moments later, out appeared, not James, but a gallant stag, with large horns.

I rolled my eyes. 'Oh my. A stag. It's going to eat me. Now I'm trapped in a zoo,' I said with boredom. He tried to impress me this way before. A gallant stag hopping across the green grass in front of the lake, and when he looked back at me, he promptly had fallen into the lake.

James turned back. 'You weren't surprised?' he asked in awe and confusion.

I had just opened back my book before he said that, and I once more slammed it shut. 'No. I. Was. Not,' I said, my teeth and fists clenched alike.

James frowned. 'Oh. I see. I guess the zoo trick didn't work.'

'No. It didn't,' I said, reading my book again. I felt his eyes on me again. 'What do you want now? Why can't you let me read in peace?' I exclaimed, shutting my book for the hundred and eleventh time.

Potter shrugged. He pointed to the end of the couch, where the line was drawn across. 'Your toes are on my side of the line.'

_Dammit..._


	4. Chapter 4

_CHAPTER FOUR: Oranges and Personal Space_

Around 11:00 AM  
10 Hours To Go

I was blatantly fed up with this! Dammit I was so tired of sharing a room with him! And worse yet, I had to pee! Heaven forbid James Potter was stupid enough to jinx the bathroom door! Merlin I swear if he had, I would have turned his face so ugly even Moaning Myrtle (who likes virtually any boy on the planet) won't even stand to look at him. I growled at Potter on my way getting up to go to the bathroom, a signal.

He looked up and gave me this confused face. He was playing chess by himself, he had enchanted the other pieces to play on their own accord seeing as I diligently refused to play with him. 'What's wrong?' he asked in an innocent voice.

'I have to go to the bathroom and if that door's jinxed too, you'd better hope 10 hours goes damn fast with you being alive,' I snarled.

James frowned and bit his lip. He looked anxious and wary as he watched me cross the line and to the bathroom door. I turned back to him before my attempt. 'I'm warning you,' I said through gritted teeth. He nodded vigorously, not wanting to set me off beforehand. I turned back to the door, looked at the doorknob and placed my fingertips mere millimeters away from touching it. My hand grasped the doorknob.

Then guess what?

Nothing!

That's what!

Absolutely nothing!

So surprised and happy I threw the door open, did my business (while taking my dear old time) and rushed back out, swinging the door shut with glee. I reclined back on the couch. 'Your lucky,' I stated to him. James glanced up from his tricky situation.

'I guess I am,' he stated uncertainly, as if he had done something else that wasn't found out yet, and even he didn't know what he did.

'Yes. You are,' I repeated, throwing my hands behind my head and sighing in relief.

'I guess I am,' he repeated himself, turning back to his chess board and sighing. I looked at his sad face, my smile falling. He looked so...what was that expression? Sad? Grievingly upset? Ashamed?

'What's wrong?' I asked, sitting up straight.

He looked up again. Even his eyes said the same emotion. He radiated it. 'It's very boring and I...er...' he mumbled something incoherently. I fleetingly thought he had said, _'I'm sorry for what I did to you_.' Maybe he did! Maybe he wasn't so bad after all...

'What was that?' I said with a smile, flipping back my long hair again.

'You've got toilet paper on your shoe,' he said louder, biting his lip, holding back laughs.

My face. I swear to Merlin. Was the brightest it had ever been in my life. And that's counting the last 14 hours.

_1 O'clock  
Only Eight Hours To Go_

After that not-so-pleasing incident, lunch had rolled around. Oh joy. Time for me to watch James Potter eat like a hog in front of me. Three cheers. Oh, no, wait, don't cheer. Please. I once again conjured up some more food, not so surprising. This time it was ham and cheese sandwiches, with apples and one orange (I love Oranges, not so fond of apples however) and some pumpkin juice. James also demanded I conjure some Chocolate Frogs. Why? I don't know. Don't ask me.

Over lunch, he explained some things to me. And I to him. 'So, you've known that Remus is a werewolf?' he asked me around a bite of ham and cheese.

I scowled and he swallowed and flashed me a grin. 'Yeah,' I said. 'I have. He's told me.' I decided to make a rude comment, like he always had to me. 'I guess that's because he's the only sensible one out of you four raving lunatics.'

James rolled his eyes and continued to eat. Wow. I got James Godric Potter speechless on a comeback. Amazing.

'What else do you know about the famous marauders?' he asked me, finishing up his fourth sandwich. (Yes, I know, amazing considering he's so thin). He smiled again and I found myself staring into his eyes before I actually answered his question.

'That Peter's a wimp, Sirius is a 'player', I really don't know how many times he's tried to hit on me but it never works,' _it's because I like you_ 'And that you're the ring-leader,' I stated.

'Is that really what's been going around about us?' he asked in awe.

I nearly choked on my last bite of cheese. 'Are you kidding! Haven't you heard what all people are talking about?' I gaped. People were talking constantly about their rule-breaking, which one of them had detention that night, and how they claimed they were madly in love with one of them, normally James and Sirius. And I, at these comments, for some reason, always blush intensely at them.

'Apparently not. All I hear about is how many times I've asked you out and you've declined, I think I'm on 721, and that's just last year,' said James with a frown, evident that a yes wouldn't be coming soon in the future.

_You never know, my opinion of you just might sway_, a stray thought popped into my mind. ARG! I hate when they always seem to pop in at the right moments. My mind works in odd ways! 'Well...maybe you should be more nice to me then shouldn't you?' I asked with a flirty sense. Oops. Didn't mean that to happen.

He blushed and absentmindedly grabbed a piece of fruit not knowing what he picked up. He took a bite of it. I stared at him, open mouthed. 'What?' he asked with a mouth full of...apple? No. That. Was. _My_. Orange.

'You're eating my orange!'

He spat it out immediately. 'I'm so sorry!' he said quickly and truthfully, picking up the discarded, wet, soggy, half-chewed pieces with a paper towel. 'Sorry, Lily, Sorry!' He seemed panicky.

I inwardly laughed, but outwardly scowled and reached to go pick up the chewed pieces in the towel, conveniently at the same time he did. Our noses bumped and we looked up at each other. I could feel his breath on my skin. Gulp.

He grabbed the towel and vanished it with his wand. 'To close for comfort there,' he muttered, his cheeks as pink as ever.

Mine were too. 'Yeah, personal space,' I mumbled.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter FIVE:_

_2 o'clock  
Seven Hours To Go_

It seems as though, as the clock ticked away merrily in the corner of our common room, that the line I had drawn across the floor hours and hours ago, had grown thicker. I was embarrassed. So embarrassed that I didn't talk to James for a whole hour, and surprisingly, he too had kept his loud mouth, shut. Until, that was, he whispered an apology across the room.

'Sorry, Lily,' came his whispered voice on his side of the room.

I un-burrowed my face out of a fluffy pillow I had stuck it into and frowned. He seemed quite upset as he sat twiddling his thumbs absentmindedly, looking at the floor. 'Why are you sorry?' I asked him, an eyebrow raised in confusion.

He muttered some well chosen, incoherent words to himself before mumbling just loud enough for me to hear, 'Really sorry. I annoy you,' came the mumbled words. I nearly fell off the couch because I was leaning in so far to hear them. And from shock. James Godric Potter, the rich, snobbish, popular, annoying, all around perfect guy in Hogwarts, was telling me, Lily Rose Evans, that he was sorry. But for what?...I have absolutely no idea.

'I still don't understand why you're sorry for being annoying...' I said, completely dumbfounded.

'Because I keep annoying you!' said James, his voice rising to an audible tone. I sighed. Well thanks captain obvious...you're the most biggest annoying prat I've ever met and that just got through your thick skull after seven years. His voice sunk once more, 'And I'll never get you to say yes.' He sounded regretful that he had asked me out all those times...upset and angry at himself.

'James,' I rolled my eyes and he looked up at the sound of his name. What were those in his eyes behind his glasses? Wait...were those tears? Little sparkling specks of regret and sadness? 'Are you crying?' I laughed.

He scowled and wiped his eyes with the palm of his hand. 'No!' he declared loudly. 'I am not!'

I laughed. 'Yes you are!' I laughed even harder. The tips of his ears burnt red and so did his pale cheeks. Now I'm arguing with him about crying...Merlin he's stubborn!

'No I'm not Evans! I...I...I had something in my eye!' he said again, placing his glasses back on his face with a broad scowl. He looked utterly embarrassed and I looked very amused. I was very amused.

'Right,' I replied sarcastically. He's horrible at lying...absolutely horrible. I have to make a mental note to play poker with him someday. I'd so win.

'I'm NOT CRYING!' he declared, his voice rising, embarrassed and fists clenched into balls at his side as he stood up.

I shook my head. 'You're so stubborn, Potter,' I replied flippantly and laughed, picking my book off of my floor and beginning to reread it again for about the eighth time.

_3 o'clock  
6 Hours To Go_

_My...he sure has changed in the matter of 18 Hours...most of which were hell on wheels and in a box_, I thought, my eyes grazing over his face as he frowned in concentration again. He sat staring at the chess board again, against some particularly hard magical opponents. I watched as he considered his moves, watching the board with a keen hazel eye. His brow was furrowed in concentration and I could nearly imagine how those rusty wheels in his head were turning frantically. _If only he could apply his chess skills to schoolwork...I shouldn't be talking, I'm rubbish at chess..._I thought once more.

Apparently, he felt my gaze and looked up. A lopsided grin broke out on his once stone face. Instantly I knew for a moment why the girls always fawned over him..._Wait a minute! My thoughts are being contaminated! _My head screamed._ I just almost literally admitted that I fancy him! _But my subconscious whispered: Your _thoughts are swaying Lily...admit it! _But I shoved that annoying thought back._ I'll pull you out when I need you... _'You want to see if you can beat me?' he drawled out dramatically with a broader grin.

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. That thought escaped and zoomed persistently around my head again like a hyperactive owl. 'No...really,' I shook my head, my cheeks now almost the red colour of my hair. Oh Merlin...I'm stuck in a pile of mud about knee deep. 'I'm utter rubbish at chess...' I mumbled.

His thin face showed an expression of glee and surprise. 'Oh really!' He exclaimed. 'The all around perfectionist and wise-gal can't play chess?' asked James. His eyes twinkled with mischief.

I nodded. 'Not to save my life,' I admitted with a deeper blush. I absentmindedly brushed back a piece of loose hair.

He let out a small laugh. I knew that James could tell that he was flattering me. But not that much! I swear! Just...a bit. A centimeter maybe? 'C'mon, Lily,' he said. I bet he took a second thought about calling me Lils. 'I'll teach you the ropes,' he said.

I looked pointedly down at the line drawn out across the room. I still refused to remove it. Who knew what insufferable plans he had up his sleeve yet? I knew as much as he did that we're both stubborn idiots. Well, the idiot part only pertains to him. Not me.

He followed my gaze to the line and his grin reappeared. He smartly picked up the chess board and sat it down on the floor, right across the line. One half on my side, the other on his...well maybe the prat does have some brains up there in that empty hollow of an inflated head. 'There,' he declared. 'You're black...I'll make the first move...and this is normal muggle chess...'

I raised my eyebrows. Potter, playing muggle chess?

'Yeah, I know...me playing normal chess...' he said as if he had read my mind. 'I only had one side enchanted when I played by myself...' he grinned again. 'So I make the first move...and then I'll help you make yours...' He looked expectantly, waiting for my answer.

I was an independent girl. I wasn't going to let him help me that easily. 'No thank you,' I replied smugly, despite my knowledge of that I didn't do good at chess. 'I'll manage it by myself.'

And within a matter of five minutes, he had me check and mated.

_3:30  
Five and a Half Hours To Go_

'No...Lily I've told you this eight times already, the pawn only moves up to two spaces! It can't move three,' James declared a half a hour later then we had began. I believe we were on our eleventh game. I was getting a 'bit' better in my standards...better than I had been before but not nearly as good enough to beat him. He sighed in exhaustion.

_I'm sorry_! my thoughts spat._ If I can't remember which pieces move how and where! _I had my hand on the pawn. He snapped his own hand out, grasped my wrist and pushed my hand and the pawn back one.

Woa...invasion of personal space here again! But this time, it's not half bad...His hand lingered, as did my thoughts once more, and when he saw his hand still laying on top of mine I shot him a shifty grin. He reluctantly returned it with a not-so-confident grin of his own. He seemed embarrassed and I had to let out a small laugh. Though, it came out like a giggle. Oh Merlin. Didn't mean to do that. Murder me now! My cheeks went pink and he let out a nervous chuckle.

'O-Okay...o-on with the game then...' he swallowed with another nervous laugh and picked up his hand. Not so smooth now, are you Potter, now that the girl you annoy the most and like the most is paying attention to you? Never had I seen James Potter more embarrassed and less smooth in my Hogwarts career. And that included a lot of practical jokes played on him.

A little while later, I just had to laugh. His hands were shaky, his hair more mussed up than normal, and his eyes wide with intensity at his current situation. He looked up at me at my abrupt laugh. 'What?' he asked, his voice straining to remain unstuttering.

'You're embarrassed aren't you?' I laughed. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help it. He looked so flustered that I wanted to do something to remember this moment by. And his cheeks only reddened more when I asked. But that...was in anger.

'I am not!' he declared defiantly.

'You are too,' I said before smiling, leaving my post at the chess board and saying before I returned to a book, 'So stubborn.'


	6. Chapter 6

_CHAPTER SIX: Trelawney's Prediction of the Past_

4:30  
Four and a Half Hours To Go

James looked at me. I felt eyes roaming up and down me. They sent involuntary shivers up my spine, rattling my head and chattering my teeth. He was looking at me with this irreplaceable look in his eyes. A look that meant sincereness, frivolity, generosity, and...what was that last one in there? Love! Merlin he loved me! I'm so daft! No wait, I'm not daft...he's daft! For Merlin's sake why would he like someone who argued with him! Nevertheless attempt to love! Plus, I hated that stare. It made me shiver and feel uncomfortable. 'Can you please stop that?' I asked with dignity in my voice.

He shook his head. 'Er, yeah sure, L-Lily.' He stuttered my name. Was this boy sick?

I shot him a stern look before returning to a long piece of parchment that I had occupied myself with. So...this is what he does when I'm not looking or watching him. He's watching me! Before I could stop my stupid mouth, I blurt out, 'Why do you even try anymore?'

He looked up, eyebrows raised into his flyaway hair. I so badly wanted to clap a hand to my mouth. I didn't mean to let that slip! Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid... 'What do you mean? I'm lost,' he said.

_Aren't you always? _My brain spat. I inwardly scowled at my thoughts. 'Why do you even try asking me out anymore?' DAMMIT! Stupid incompetent mouth! I at least managed to retain a half-composed expression.

He frowned. 'Because...because it's a personal matter,' he said. 'What does it have to do with you?'

Oh Merlin...here we go again...with my intolerance of getting shunned so easily and his protectiveness, this was going to be a cat and dog fight. More literally, a cat and stag fight. 'It has everything to do with me because I'M the one you keep asking!' I shouted.

His face remained impassive. Then it went from angry, confused, bewildered, happy, upset and then just plain annoyance in the matter of five seconds. That...that took skill. Even I couldn't manage that. 'Well...because...it's a long long story...'

I looked at the clock. 'You've got four hours...tell.'

**Author's Note: since this is James's flashback, this will be in third person, pertaining to James's perspective.**

_  
James was tired of all this commotion. "Move your bloody arses out of my way! I've got a detention to get to tonight for Filch and I've got a fully loaded wand at the ready!" James Potter pushed his way past the crowded corridors, shoving first years out of his way and rumbled past a line of third years waiting to get into the Great Hall for dinner. Talk about a huge domino effect._

He had received detention in the West Wing of the fifth floor, scrubbing the floors. Why? He had had a run in with Filch that past Hogsmeade weekend, attempting to smuggle three containers of Butterbeer and eight dungbombs into the castle. Filch, not-so-surprisingly, was enraged that someone would attempt to bring those items into the school, and none-the-less, assigned James detention on the spot. Whereas Filch was torn to pieces when James 'accidentally' spilt a bottle of butterbeer on the newly-polished entry hall floor, Mr. Potter was feeling quite proud of his accomplishments.

He had finally managed his way through the wave of students with grumbling stomachs racing to the Great Hall and up the moving staircases to the fifth floor. He expertly jumped the eighth vanishing step on the second staircase, and happened to get his foot stuck in the quick-sand one above. "Wait a second," said James, catching on to what situation he was in at the moment-

'James! I don't want to hear your story of how you got your foot unstuck from the step, get to the point!'

'Sorry sorry! Just putting in details...'

_James got his foot unstuck from the step with a little help from his wand and Peeves the Poltergeist, who was very happy to help a fellow troublemaker, and managed to get his way, unharmed, to the West Wing on the fifth floor. The West Wing was a wing that was preferred not to be visited. It ranked horribly of tea leaves, cooking sherry, and strong perfume. The Divination Tower was here and the scents floated down from the now open trapdoor, the ladder, however; missing. James wrinkled his nose at the unattractive scent and performed a faulty bubble-head charm on himself, the bubble bobbing about._

Scrubbing the filthy floors for about an hour, he had heard quick footsteps coming from the door that led to the Moving Stairwell. James looked up, depositing his scrubbing brush in a bucket of soap suds. Thinking it was Filch coming to retrieve him, thinking the job was finished, James waved his wand once over the slippery floor, avoiding going over to the trapdoor, leaving it still slippery, drying the rest and stood quickly.

However, the mystery guest was indeed not Filch coming to retrieve him. It was the old mad-hatter of a teacher, Professor Cassandra Trelawney, the divination extraordinaire. James snorted. Yeah. Right. And he heard she had a Seer for a daughter too. She was shuffling a pack of Tarot cards in her hands, mumbling to herself, glasses perched low on her nose and when James shot her a shifty look, she looked up, her eyes wide. "Y-Yes? And who might you be?" she questioned.

James decided to have a little fun with this reclusive Professor. "Me Professor? I'm Sirius Black, the pompous idiot from Gryffindor." He exclaimed, puffing out his chest.

'You pretended to be Sirius! No wonder she resigned soon after!'

'Wasn't my fault...continuing on...'

_Her eyes widened. "YOU!" she screeched. "You're the little menace of a student who wrote 'Trelawney sniffs Centaur behinds for drugs and the Dog Star Rules Earth!" Cards dropped from her hands, three landing face up on the ground. Her hands were shaking as she pointed at James._

"Er...I am? OH! I mean I am! Yeah...sorry...I did that," James said with a suppressed snigger.

"Sorry!" she bellowed. She shook violently in anger, James shook violently in hysterics, until finally the both of them released the pent up emotions. James was left, sitting, giggling on the newly cleaned floor. Trelawney regained her composition. "Well," she stated with hefty sigh. "Must be off to my tower, I have...Dream Diaries to grade..." She picked up her cards, not realizing she left the three that were face-up behind, and made her way over to her trap door.

James turned her back on her and crawled, still chuckling, to the remaining Tarot cards. He examined them before he heard a plunk on the floor. "Ooops...must have missed a spot," he smiled widely.

"BLACK!" she roared before summoning the ladder, climbing up it with much difficulty and slamming the trap door shut. James returned to the cards with a smile, three cards...Love he knew...but the other two...hm.

'So what did the cards mean?' I asked, kind of actually intrigued by this. 'And what does this have to do with you asking me out seven hundred times a year?'

James smiled. 'Mind you, this was in third year,' he said.

'Yes,' I said, quite exhausted from his delaying of my question. 'The year you suddenly started to ask me out- wait...those cards had something to do with it didn't they?'

'You catch on quickly, young grasshopper,' he said with a smile.

'I'm not a grasshopper,' I mumbled, pouting. 'Now explain.'

'Alright. Well, I asked a student of hers, seeing as she resigned the very next day, and she told me what the cards meant. I can't remember her name, who cares...she told me that the love card meant that in my situation I would have to keep trying for love, another one meant that my love would never die, and the other...well she'd never seen the other one before, but the girl on the card looked just like you.'

Gasp! NO FRICKIN' BLOODY HELL WAY! My eyes went wide and he could apparently sense my awe. 'You took advice from a TAROT CARD on your love life! THAT'S WHY YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE!' I screeched.

My stomach did a number of flip flops, I felt extremely annoyed that he would take advice from cardboard cards, proud that someone liked me that much, and upset over the whole thing. 'Well...' he said, his cheeks pink and his hands stuffed into his pockets. I was standing, my fists shaking, pacing about the room. 'I loved you even before that Lily Evans. And I go by the cards I've been dealt. I'm not giving up.'

And with those words, the bell on the grandfather clock in the corner announced we had three and a half hours to get our act...together.


	7. Chapter 7

_CHAPTER SEVEN: Line-B-Gone_

**I'm getting really angry. I've typed this chapter for the third time now. My computer keeps deleting my file and it's making my temper rise above breaking point. Anyways... continuing on with the third-time revised, long awaited Chapter Seven.**

**(Chapter Seven will consist of way more Romance then chapters 1-6 contained...be forewarned)**

_Moments After Tarot Card Incident_

_5:30_

_My stomach did a number of flip flops, I felt extremely annoyed that he would take advice from cardboard cards, proud that someone liked me that much, and upset over the whole thing. 'Well...' he said, his cheeks pink and his hands stuffed into his pockets. I was standing, my fists shaking, pacing about the room. 'I loved you even before that Lily Evans. And I go by the cards I've been dealt. I'm not giving up.'_

And with those words, the bell on the grandfather clock in the corner announced we had three and a half hours to get our act...together.

I refused to talk to him. My heart was pounding way too fast and my head was spinning in circles. I was dreaming. Hell, I hoped I was dreaming. _This couldn't be happening! _was what my mind was screaming at me, wouldn't let me ignore the fact that maybe I could fancy him back. After all, he was fit. I mentally snorted...two weeks ago I would have been disgusted to hear me say that aloud, and now I'm thinking it. That's one step closer to destination, Love: James Potter.

_6:30_

_Two and a Half Hours Until Task 24Hours is Completed_

Internally, I was facing a battle. The day-prior-to-this-Lily and the Love-Sunken-Lily. _Give him a chance. If he blows it, then he's outta luck. But Lily, he admits what he did for you. Isn't that not chivalrous? He lurrrves you Lily...give him a chance to show it..._

_No. Way. In. Hell._

_You know what...I'm taking control of this battle..there's no use continuing on arguing with myself. I'm doing what my heart tells me and that's that! I'm giving him a chance. And damn me to hell if this is a joke..._I ended the battle inside me ferociously, the love-sunken Lily winning easily. This time I was going to watch what my mouth did. My mouth sometimes had a mind and course of it's own...watch what I speak Lil...watch what I speak...'James?' I asked quietly, unburrowing my head out of my pillow.

James, who had lodged himself in a corner of his side of the room with his head up against the wall and in his hands, looked up and over his shoulder at me. His eyes were not sparkling, a sight one never sees, and he looked withdrawn and careworn. His hair, surprisingly, had forced itself semi-flat, also another unusual sight. He ranked of defeat. Or so he thought. 'What?' he asked blearily.

I half smiled. He looked so cute. Time to kiss and make up. Okay...maybe that's jumping the gun, just make up. Not kiss. We'll save that for later. Sorry. 'James, I'm really sorry for putting you down like I did, I should have caught the signs, stopped playing stupid and hard to get.'

James looked momentarily confused before the information seeped into his still bloated head. 'Oh. Is that all? No saying you despise my thickness and completely utter randomness of confessing true love?' He looked angry. 'Accusing me of this being all a joke?'

I seemed to shrink a bit. 'No. That's not all,' I struggled not to let my temper and mouth get the better of me. 'I really am sorry James. And if that's how you think. I just won't talk to you for the rest of the time we're in here and then leave as separate people. If that truly is how you think,' I said it sternly, yet softly, as not to get him angered. Now was not the time for anger.

He sat up straight. 'That's not how I think Lils- I mean Lily.' He stopped himself. I had to laugh...he was frightened of me!

I smiled. 'It's alright...continue. I wanna hear this...'

He sighed. 'You heard my views. I stand stronger on them than I did before all of this. You've seen how I've acted in here. I did this because it's amazing how people can change in the amount of time that's 24 hours, and I wanted to change. To make you see what's under this troublemaking skin. I. Love. You.' My eyes widened. I heard it before an hour ago...but it still shocked me to hear those words coming out of his mouth.

I smiled at him. My mouth was tangled. I wanted so bad to let the same words flow out of my own mouth, but something wouldn't let me. Something had to be done first... I looked down at the line separating us, then up at him with a smile. 'James watch this...' I said with a smile that could have matched his own.

James got up and stood as close to me as possible without crossing the line. I took out my wand, grinned at him, then looked at the line, swishing my wand over the line once, making it disappear. James looked at me with a cocked eyebrow. _Why does he have to do that! It's tempting!_

'Why did you do that for?' he asked.

'What? You liked it there?' I replied sarcastically back, taking out my wand and pointing it back at the floor.

He shook his head. 'No! No...I like it this way better thanks.'

I smiled sweetly. 'I do to.'


	8. Chapter 8

_CHAPTER EIGHT: Saying It_

_WARNING: Major Fluff_

**-Sniffles- The last chapter. My baby, is finished. I expect everyone begging for more. Nah, just kidding, review at free will and don't hurt me. So here it is, fluff and all. -sniffles-**

_6:30_

_Two and Half Hours until the Jinx is gone_

_'Why did you do that for?' he asked._

_'What? You liked it there?' I replied sarcastically back, taking out my wand and pointing it back at the floor._

_He shook his head. 'No! No...I like it this way better thanks.'_

_I smiled sweetly. 'I do to.' _I flipped my hair back behind my shoulder and grinned, a blush rising to my cheeks. We were getting closer to the time limit and things still hadn't unraveled themselves in the correct direction. James grinned.

'I'm glad we actually agree on something, _Evans,_' he replied with a smirk for old time sakes.

I gave my once "I hate you," glare at him playfully and said, 'Same to you, _Potter_.' However the shocked look on his face that I had played along sent me giggling. He cocked an eyebrow again, sending me into more uncharacteristic giggles. STOP IT LILY STOP IT! IT'S SO NOT YOU! I took a deep breath and calmed myself down.

'Er...Lily...are you okay?' James asked, apparently confused.

I nodded, cheeks flushed beyond imagination. 'Yeah, I'm alright I guess...' I said with a smile. James returned the smile, happy that I wasn't insane or anything unusual. 'So...about that line...how does it feel to roam freely again, James Potter?' I asked snidely, standing still on my side of the line.

'Perfectly free,' he said, smiling happily. Butterflies arose from my stomach, a feeling I hadn't gotten since...well...forever. I liked that feeling, I'd like to keep it forever. Cherish it in my arms like a newborn kitten, snuggly and happy. For a moment, my old self peeked through my happy moments and snarled, _What is wrong with you! Are you drunk off Firewhiskey! _But I would tell it to shut up and continue to smile uncharacteristically at him. 'Lily? You alright?' he asked with his smile.

I nodded. 'Perfectly free- I mean fine.' I said hurriedly, screwing up my sentences already! Dammit I'm the smartest witch in my year, now act like it and put your skills to use Lily!

He grinned and let out a hearty chuckle. 'That's good.' He said happily. We were still standing on our previous sides of the room, but he kept shuffling closer to me. Okay, this was awkward, he was trying to take things too fast. Just because I caught his insufferable love-bug doesn't mean I don't have any common sense left! I moved myself over to the couch. He grinned and followed me. _Stalker! _screamed my old self. I shoved that voice into a cardboard box in the back of my mind. _And stay there!_

'You know Lily, I...I often wondered why we couldn't just be friends. You know, before all of this?' he said, twiddling a loose thread on his cloak.

It was my turn to raise an eyebrow at him. It was my turn to accuse him of playing stupid. 'You often wondered why?' I snorted. 'Well that was when your head was inflated to the rough size of a quaffle.' I said smartly.

He grinned. I almost swooned. 'That's right, inflated.' he said with a nervous laugh. 'Are we friends now?' he asked.

I pretended to consider the options. 'Maybe...if your head doesn't float away again maybe that could be a possibility.' James frowned. 'I was just joking!' I laughed. 'You being a marauder should know when people are joking, James.' I said with a smile.

He nodded. 'I guess some of it is wearing off.' He said, his hazel eyes flashing with trouble.

'Right, and I'm the witch who invented the nose-picking charm,' I said sarcastically with a roll of my eyes.

Apparently he didn't catch the sarcasm. 'Really? You're that girl who invented it!' he said excitedly, his eyes bulging as he bounced slightly on the couch. There. That proves that nothing wore off of him.

I sighed. 'No! I was just being sarcastic!' I said loudly.

He stopped bouncing. 'Really?'

'Really.'

_8:00_

_one hour left_

We had been talking for an hour and a half about absolute rubbish. The normal gossip, what James was planning to do to Severus Snape next, which I had forbid. I may like him now but that doesn't mean he can still tease Severus. I didn't realize that it was eight o'clock until the grandfather clock chimed loudly. I had been sitting on my side of the couch and him on his, an awkward seating arrangement.

'So you don't like Quidditch?'

'No. Absolutely not.'

'Why not?'

'It's dangerous. You could easily die!' I argued. We had been having a heated argument about Quidditch and it's pros and cons, or what he called 'Ups and Downs' for his lack of better terms, when the clock struck eight. I smiled at him. 'One hour,' I reminded him. 'Then we are both free!'

I didn't see his face fall unhappily. But I did hear him say, 'I wonder what everyone thinks we're doing...where we are...' he said unhappily.

I frowned. I bet I knew what my friends were going to say, not that I had many friends. They were going to say that I was most likely studying something terribly complicated, something of the sort. Never would they guess I would be sitting calmly in the Heads' Common Room talking civilly to my former arch-nemesis. 'Probably think I'm studying something brutal, my friends would.' I voiced.

James grinned. _Stop grinning you git, you're making my heart pound to loudly to hear anything! _'Well I know that Sirius would-' But I didn't get to hear what he thought Sirius would do as a loud _THUMP_ of my heart blocked it out. 'And then he'd burst into a fit of laughter-' _THUMP_. I found myself gently scratching the couch, egging for my heart to stop it. 'Peter'd just look at me like-' _THUMP_. I found myself now trying to edge closer to him. 'Then he'd probably squeal to death-' _THUMP. _My eyes wandered to his hand lying on the couch beside him and I wanted to grasp it in my own. The temptation was too much to risk. 'And Remus would be-Lily? Are you listening to me?' I was now next to him, my eyes on his hand, my fingertips close to his.

I nodded and looked up at him. 'James...what about being friends?' I asked vaguely.

'I...I didn't know we were back on that topic, as a matter of fact,' he said, confused.

'We weren't,' I said, trying to distract him. I cast a quick glance at my hand. I was so close. I intertwined it in mine.

He looked down in surprise then back up in a grin.

'I like you,' I blurted so fast that I could barely catch what I was saying. I could see the pride swelling in his chest inside my head and the butterflies fluttered in ecstasy. 'I found that I always have. Kinda...sorta...And well-'

'Lily, shhh...' he pressed a finger to my mouth with that Marauder grin plastered on my face. The butterflies stopped, realized the situation, and flared up again in excitement. I was on edge, waiting for the firework display to arrive in the pit of my stomach. 'I know.' he said. And to my disappointment, smiled, took his finger away from my lips and returned his hand into mine.

_8:50_

_10 More Minutes_

We talked some more, but awkwardly so. It was on the topic that I was most edgy about. Me. He said that in first year he was in love with my eyes before he found he liked the rest as well. I laughed nervously. Seemed that was all I could really do. I looked up at the clock. 'Ten minutes,' I said quietly.

He looked up too. 'I'm almost wishing I had made it two days...' he muttered. I smiled. I was really beginning to think that he was okay after all. We got up and waited by the door for the silver glow to appear and the jinx to be over. We were still holding hands. 'Lily, I have something to tell you. Something that you've probably heard before but I'm going to say it anyways,' he said.

'Get on with it,' I said with a smile.

He grinned nervously and took both my hands into his own. Boy I hope he didn't mind that they were sweaty as hell. 'Lily. You are the most beautiful girl on earth-'

'Oh stop it!' I said, my cheeks blushing.

He tried to catch my eyes and he did, because I got lost in his. 'No. I really mean it, Lily. You've got a fiery attitude, it's a flaw, and it's so attractive to me, even though you're scary when you get angry. But cute scary you know? And I'm rambling...' He rambled forever. Until there was one minute left.

'And I'd just like to say-'

I knew what he was going to say. 'James. Shh...I know.'

_DING. DING. DING._

'I...I...'

_DING. DING. DING._

'love-'

_DING. DING. DING._

'I love you.' we chorused together softly just at the last chime of the bell and the door swung open. We were still holding hands, staring into each other's eyes dreamily. (I was thinking: _I've been dreaming. THIS has got to be a dream. There's no way in HELL that this is happening to me! NEVER!) _

James grinned. 'I love you too.'

**THIS FIC IS COMPLETED!**


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